1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an adjustable supporting structure, such as a shelf, and more particularly to a shelf that can be supported in a horizontal position and also adjusted to a number of tilted positions.
The supporting structure of the present invention can be ideally incorporated into a knock-down shelving system having a plurality of supporting posts for supporting one or more shelves at corner assemblies thereof. The shelving system may include, for example, four corner assemblies that may be adjusted to locate a rectangularly-shaped shelf at predetermined heights along the supporting posts. Further, the position of two corner assemblies corresponding to one side of the shelf may be adjusted, i.e., moved vertically on their respective supporting posts, while the other two corner assemblies remain stationary, thereby tilting the shelf to a number of desired angles. Further, a dimension of the shelf may be changed so that the corner assemblies may be secured to supporting posts located at a number of different positions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Knock-down shelving systems having one or more shelves are known, and each has utility in many applications. For example, such shelving systems may be used in food service, industrial, and hospital settings for storage of any desired items.
Conventional knock-down shelving systems typically include a plurality of supporting posts, at fixed positions, for supporting one or more shelves at each corner. However, while each shelf may be adjusted in the vertical direction, i.e., raised or lowered, the shelf remains in a horizontal orientation between the fixed supporting posts.
Despite the utility and commercial success of such prior art shelving systems, a need exists for an improved shelving system in which the orientation and dimensions of a shelf can be varied to better accommodate a user's needs.